This invention relates to electrical connectors, and more particularly to a connector half including improved means for retaining a connector wafer therein.
A connector half is a housing, generally housing at least one connector wafer therein for connection to another connector half or to a connector panel. One form of connector housing is of generally rectangular cross section having parallel transverse faces joined at perpendicular sides. A wafer is inserted therein in an axial direction to form the connector half assembly. The wafer is typically a flat, rigid plastic insert with contacts assembled or molded therein. The contacts may be either pins or sockets extending in the axial direction. In an assembled connector, the contacts ends define a plane perpendicular to the transverse faces of the connector shell at the forward end therof for mating with other contacts. (In order to facilitate assembly of connector halves, it has been necessary to provide a means for holding wafers in a connector shell.) This has been done in the past, for example, by providing a bracket and fastener at the rear of a shell. This involves complex assembly steps. A metallic shell has been provided with spring clips mounted for rotation in the transverse plane for engaging the rear surface of wafers after they are axially inserted in the shell. Such designs entail complexity in construction, and generally require a metallic shell that cannot be formed by a simple casting process. Both forms of connector require a relatively complex form of manipulation to remove the wafer from the back shell.